Plot, Plot, Plot

[coalitiongirl]

 So we now have our writers and you've looked through all the technical details, and now it's time to talk plot! We've got seven days to suggest and discuss any ideas you have in the comments, and here are two things to keep in mind:

• Each chapter should ideally be a story in itself. We're each getting one opportunity to write and so we want a plot that allows for each writer to play within the 'verse without being caught up in transitional chapters or the like!
• At the same time, we also want to have one coherent ongoing plot that allows for development so it doesn't read like a series of short stories.

So this can work in several ways.

• We could rewrite a season. We have exactly as many writers as there are episodes, and we could each tackle one. (I'm wary of this option simply because there's the OUATVS and because I don't know about the rest of you, but I find episode rewrites kind of dull, especially when we have many stronger writers than the OUAT ones?)
• We can settle on a theme with stronger individual chapter plots and a weaker overall plot. I suggested tropes before- it could be something like "some kind of magical trickster has come to town and keeps casting wacky spells," and then we go from there. (I've seen people do that way back when SQW did magical mishaps.) In that, the story would be very much about individual chapters and character/relationship development, but it's tricky because the latter sometimes gets lost in the process.
• We can settle on one standard plot that we like and write to it- this is generally easy and straightforward, though you do need a more intricately organized outline from the start so you don't run out of plot along the way. 

Please drop your suggestions in the comments and discuss them! Reply to each other and talk about what you want to write and what you think might work for a story like this. This post closes on May 2, and we'll poll for your favorite option of the ones suggested from May 3-5.

Oh, and I don't think we'll do a totally alternate universe this time around because many people aren't used to writing out of the 'verse. Anything that takes place within the OUAT universe, even if it's a complete deviation from canon, is fair game.

Comments

[coalitiongirl]

Okay, okay, I'll start us off. I've always been fascinated by the idea of, when Emma saves Henry at the end of S1, all it does is save Henry, not break the curse. Then we have a town of people who still don't know, Emma wavering on whether or not she's going to accept the burden of saviorhood and returning everyone's lost memories, Regina wavering in general and someone Emma and Henry don't know whether or not to trust, Regina and Henry mending their relationship, and Gold making plans in the background (maybe even returning magic to the town). And if magic is back in town, maybe there are new magical threats who can arrive, like Cora, to an unsuspecting populace... Thoughts?

[madasaboxofcats]

I think that could be interesting. I imagine there could be some interesting Charming-family stuff in there, too -- Emma knowing that the family she always sought was within reach, but also knowing that they gave her up, and knowing that if she was going to have her Family, she'd have to give up Mary Margaret, probably the only real friend she'd had in a very long time, if not since Lily.

[amycarey]

I like this idea!

[allaine]

I'd forgotten how, back in S1, I believed that the curse wouldn't break until the end of S2. I'd love to see this, esp more Mary-Margaret instead of Snow.

Also, this probably goes without saying, but I think we need to see a larger role for Ruby, and the return of Kathryn. What about Belle? She'll be free but she won't remember Rumple, correct?

[alinaandalion]

i like this! especially if gold returns magic to the town before the curse breaks because imagine that. though where would henry be living? like, he can't just start living with emma, surely that would raise some sort of questions, and i don't know if he would really want to live with regina at that point because of the whole turnover thing.

[snarkingturtle]

I like this too! Would end game be breaking the curse (sort of a full-season arc), or do you see it in more of an A/B format--half the story to break the curse, the other half to deal with the ramifications of doing so?

[snarkingturtle]

To throw something else out there (though I do like the curse not breaking idea), I think it would also be interesting to do a story immediately post-Neverland, with no re-curse. For a story this length, we would need some kind of big bad, but I think that not losing a year would allow for a lot of exploration of issues that the show just dropped (as it tends to do).

[bladeddarkness]

That's true, even a lot of fic writers just tend to gloss everything that should've happened after Neverland. That should have been an exhausting trip for them, even if it was, what? Only a week in show-verse-canon?

We could always drop Zelena in somehow as the big bad, even if the show has soured her a bit lately.

[madasaboxofcats]

I really like this. The show really glossed over SO much (I could write pages and pages about MM, Emma, and the whole "I want a baby" thing because man, so much baggage and hurt that just got dropped) that deserved attention. Like Regina's torture, Snow experiencing it, and the after-effects of being kidnapped/in major danger on Henry (and Emma/Regina). I also really like where Emma and Regina's relationship was at this point -- allies, co-parents, trusting each other, not really friends but maybe getting there.

Not sure about big bad -- we could plug in Zelena. I also wish that they'd done something with the "Snow's heart has a black spot" thing, though that's probably not appropriate for this story. I thought, for a minute, that they were going to make her the season 3 big bad guy, which would've been awesome, IMO. But I digress.

[coalitiongirl]

YES I'M INTO THIS. I think this is a better idea than the first one just because we're less constrained to a previously existing plot and situation and we can work from scratch? The only real issue I have with any of these stories is that they really do require strong plot and I think that might be hard to iron out as a group.

[paradoxalpoised]

Personally, I like this much better than doing a story immediately post season 1.

I think we get to explore more of the main and the side characters, while they're actually themselves and the protagonists don't have to lie to them.

There's so much to work on especially when you become aware of the incredible lack of Swan Queen during Season two until the Diamond scene and them being thrown into Neverland.

We can write into the new charming baby issue, the Neal/Hook issue, the parenting of Henry issue, and also we don't need to have them fight a new Big Bad, we have Gold.

Remember that Henry will be his undoing? Although the show seems to have cast it aside, it could be a great aspect of the plot. And the bastard deserve karmic retribution at this point, maybe it's time Gold gets what he deserves.

If we do involve Zelena, I vote for her not to be wicked, and that maybe for once, it'd be cool if the only family memeber she has left aside from Henry wasn't portrayed as an evil homicidal psycho bitch. Just saying.

I'd love to see how Regina and Kathryn become friends again, how Red learns to live with her wolf, how Emma and Regina figure out their friendship/romance and become a family. Also if we addressed the torture issue, I wouldn't be against that.

That's a lot though...

C.

[damelola]

That is a total goldmine of character development issues and serious friction. So I guess we all know why A&E dropped it, sigh.

[snarkingturtle]

OH ALSO (sorry I am spamming the inboxes of anyone who signed up for alerts) is this an appropriate time/place for me to bring up consistency/cohesion thoughts, or does it make more sense to save that until we have a plot and are working out the more technical details?

[coalitiongirl]

Maybe later on, I'd think, once we're working out an outline? Which is....May 6-9. Those thoughts might change depending on what we write, yeah?

[coalitiongirl]

Another concept- maybe something lighter, less dependent on good and coherent plotting (because so many cooks here!). So really, Option Two of the different types I suggested.

We can really go AU at any point in S2-4, insert a mischief maker of some sort, and each pick a trope (from this list or really anything you want to explore) and then we have twenty-two chapters about Regina and Emma combatting this threat, coping with this threat, and falling in love along the way. There's a lot more space to play in a story like that and we aren't as constrained by our format or the number of authors!

[devje]

For me, this option makes more sense because I cannot see any way that 20-odd people can maintain a coherent plot, especially given the massive variations in writing styles and tone among us.

I know it's been done before—both in SQ by single authors and in other fandoms in similar round robin posts—but portal jumping through alt universes or timeline jumping within the canon universe gives everyone a chance to write the characters they want to include without setting up a world which means others end up having to work with characters in whom they have no interest. Or, there's the Groundhog Day scenario where it's the same day over and over until they get it right. Or, a mix of the two, where they flip around the canon timeline fixing all the huge loose ends and unexplored plot threads (like S2) and righting various wrongs (God, I loved Quantum Leap).

I'm gonna shut up now because plot is so not my forté.

[madasaboxofcats]

I understand the benefits of this idea/type of thing, but man, I'm having a hard time wrapping my brain around how that would work without it looking like a scattered, incoherent mess. Anybody have any good examples from other fandoms (or SQ, if it's been done) of how this would work on a macro scale like we'd be attempting?

[snarkingturtle]

A couple concerns that I have about a trope demon are:

-making sure that the tropes make sense together and aren't too random (there should be some kind of common thread/type of mischief the antagonist is drawn to--like for example I could see dopplegangers, body switch, stuck together, rhymes with blinvisible, and new uncontrollable power working well together as a set of tropes, because they all have to do with losing some sort of control over your body. or truth serum and mind reading both match nicely (didn't do a thorough enough comb-through of tropes to pick more for that group), because of the invasion-of-privacy/private thoughts element. you get the idea.)

-picking tropes that preferably haven't been done too much already in a sqw (unless we think we can do something really new and different with them)

-making sure that everyone is comfortable with the trope their team has picked (would there be a veto option, or would it be majority rules?)

But other than that, I think that it would be a good way to wrangle this many writers, and, like you said, be less dependent on really mapped out plotting.

Post season 4 finale???

[pauavalon]

I'm horrible at plotting cause I normally write at random inspiration strikes and I am way more prone to emotional and aesthetic blusts than to constructing coherent storylines (which is why I admire your ability to do so).

That said, and although I really like the ideas you are already proposing, I'd like to add a new one.

I'm particularly inclined to explore the potential ramifications of the story after the current season finale. The whole Dark!Emma arc is keeping me captive and the hiatus would be a great time to delve into such considerations (tho, I know the fic wouldn't be posted until after season 5 release).

Pro's (imo):
- We would be gathering all the canon (and headcanon) common knowledge we share up til now.
- And we will still be free from canon constraint regarding the development of the story.

Con's:
- Dark!Emma is tough to write and read about. It would possibly require a very angsty tone, and maybe we would like to go for something lighter. Then again, maybe the mood could be leveraged by other characters, flashbacks. Or even... DarkOne!Emma might have this Rumple-ish take in which she's also hilarious but preserving her essense. I don't know what I'm saying anymore... It sounds hella complicated, right?

This makes me wonder something else: should we decide the "tone" of the fic first (angst, humor, fluff...)? Or better come up with a story and later see which tone best suits it?

Re: Post season 4 finale???

[coalitiongirl]

Ooh, this could be fun. I'm not one to talk about with this tbh because I've already written a Dark!Emma fic and I'm not that interested in writing another, but I think people might have fun with it? You're right though, I don't know what we'll settle on for tone.

Re: Post season 4 finale???

[snarkingturtle]

This could be a lot of fun! There's a lot of stuff currently happening in late 4b that makes me really uncomfortable, so maybe if we did a post finale fic we could also reestablish those elements in less sketchy ways?

Re: Post season 4 finale???

[madasaboxofcats]

This is what first jumped into my mind when I first started to think of plotty things, but I wasn't sure others would go for it, given that at least one of us (Our Fearless Leader, no less) has tackled Dark!Emma (very successfully, too). But man, there's a lot there that I'd like to play with.

I def. agree with Turtle, though, that we'd want to do some damage control on some of the crap they screwed up pre-finale (for me, that whole "Zelena raped Robin and is preggers with his baby" is a big NO, and also racism). But I really do think this story line has SO much potential.

Re: Post season 4 finale???

[paradoxalpoised]

Don't know if I like the idea of doing a post 4b because a) I think the hiatus will be over by the time we finish the story, so some of us will have to write 4b stuff while 5a is going on, and b) I get the feeling many of us might do our own thing with what's gonna happen and I don't know that I want to do a group thing with that because it'll be very fresh.

C.

[absedarian]

First off, sorry I was so quiet - you know how it is with work ... life ... work ...

Anyway, I just got caught up on all the plot ideas and I like the idea of different universes - but I also love the mischievous prankster idea because I'm in the mood for something lighthearted rather than deep, deep drama (although I can see the point of that maybe being easier).

What if we could combine the different universes and the prankster idea? If we assumed Storybrooke really exists only as a place inside, say, a snow globe that belongs to the prankster (who maybe sees himself in Henry), then we could have him become bored with things and send our lovely ladies to a new universe (would also allow for AU scenarios) with each shake of the snow globe, always searching for something to keep him entertained. And he'd only stop once Henry is happy inside the snow globe world, which would of course be with his two moms.

Just a thought, cobbled together basically as I'm writing. Going to stop now and just leave this here ...

[damelola]

Here I am, late to the party. And I've forgotten how to write in paragraphs since my entire world is BBC-format scripts at the moment, oy vey. ANYWAY. If any of this makes sense, bless you all for reading along:

I love some of the elements mentioned above, there are some really rich ideas. I was thinking to fix a canon point we all think needs exploring (e.g. after Neverland, that whole missing year, or the first curse breaking). What about something that nods to the trickster/tropes construction of an overarching quest, a la the 12 labours of Hercules? There's one big thing our ladies need to achieve - e.g. the safe removal of magic from this world, or getting everyone safely back to EF, anything suitably BIG enough, you know?

So we could have chapter 1 - setting up why Emma and Regina need to go on this quest.

Chapter 2 - the first world/point in time they need to visit and the first obstacle they overcome/get closer. I imagine the construction would be something like a series of Doctor Who or similar, now I think about it. In network TV terms it would be like mytharc eps interspersed with Monster of the Week interludes or bottle episodes. This would work when romance does officially blossom - the big heated moment and then actually getting to write the two of them DEALING with that in the next chapter, over awkward first date waffles, etc.

Chapter 3 - back in Storybrooke, dealing with the aftermath and plotting the next move. Other people get updated on what the hell has gone on. They seek help/advice for the next part.

Chapter 4 - the next world/challenge/bad guy to get an artifact or ingredient from. Some could be frothy fun, some could be scary, some could Teach an Important Lesson. The people who love swashbuckling and plot could volunteer for a 'world' chapter, and the PLEASE GOD LET THESE CHARACTERS REACT TO THINGS BEFORE THE NEXT ADVENTURE types could have a Storybrooke/in between chapter to do cute character moments/deal with domestic issues/have funny distractions or sad moments.

So basically they could be working in gaming terms where they defeat each smaller 'boss' leading up to the Big Boss, victory over whom comprises the last couple of chapters. This can be anyone from Cora to the Author to the concept of fairytales and myth, tbh. A sliding scale of adversity, with the worst right at the end.

Or it could be alternated - hard bit at the start, they almost give up. Then it gets easier and they're complacent. Which almost leads to a fall. Then it gets rough again. Then the end seems horrid but teamwork and love have given them so much more than they realized. Winning can feel GOOD or draining, it all depends you see?

God, I need to stop drinking coffee.

[tinylesbrarian]

YES YES. I really like this construction a LOT. I think it also would be a great way for every author to be able to write what they're most comfortable with.